Top Art Competitions 2024

Discover current open calls for national and international art competitions.

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  • clear overview of the best grants, prizes, residences
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  • deadline reminders and agenda
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Deadline

Oct 24, 2024

Information

New Emergence Art Prize 2024

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Sound / Painting / Architecture / Drawing / Literature / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics

Reward

1,000 £

Location

Greenhithe
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Deadline

Nov 5, 2024

Information

Gallery NAT - Loneliness and Poetics

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Sound / Painting / Architecture / Drawing / Literature / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics

Reward

Best Exhibition Grand Prize: 100 £ + Exhibition

Location

London
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Deadline

Nov 7, 2024

Information

Gomma Photography Grant

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Photography

Reward

1,000 €
200 €
100 €

Location

n.a.
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Deadline

Nov 10, 2024

Information

Royal Scottish Academy - Blackadder Houston Mid-Career Painting Award

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Painting

Reward

20,000 £

Location

Edinburgh
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Resident of Scotland (GB)
Mid-career artists

Deadline

Nov 10, 2024

Information

Royal Scottish Academy - Blackadder Houston Mid-Career Travel Award

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Painting

Reward

5,000 £

Location

Edinburgh
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Resident of Scotland (GB)
Entrants must be mid-career painters who are at least 15 years out of art school or can demonstrate at least 15 years of substantive practice.

Deadline

Nov 17, 2024

Information

Bournemouth and Poole College - Dorset Art Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Graphic

Reward

1,000 £
500 £
250 £

Location

Poole
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Resident of South West England (GB)
For artists who live in Dorset.

Deadline

Nov 24, 2024

Information

Wolf Suschitzky Photography Prize

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Photography
Theme: All the world’s a stage

Reward

500 € + ACF London residency
500 € + Vienna/Salzburg residency
Exhibition

Location

London
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Resident of Austria, United Kingdom

Deadline

Jan 10, 2025

Information

Sony World Photography Awards

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Photography

Reward

Photographer of the Year: 25,000 £ + Solo exhibition + Sony equipment
Open Photographer of the Year: 5,000 £ + Sony equipment
Student Photographer of the Year: Sony equipment

Location

London
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Deadline

Feb 11, 2025

Information

Scottish Landscape Awards

Genre: Art Competition
Art field: Digital / Painting / Drawing / Photography / Video / Graphic / Installation / Performance / Sculpture / Textile Art / Ceramics
Theme: Works that reflect all dimensions of natural and/or synthetic environments

Reward

10,000 £ + Exhibition
5,000 £
3,000 £
1,000 £

Location

n.a.
United Kingdom

Eligibility conditions

Resident of Scotland (GB)

Art Competitions – Prizes, recognition and exposure

Art competitions are great opportunities for artists, offering cash prizes along with the rewards of exposure and recognition. By validating your artistic practice, they increase your visibility in the art world. Art competitions can serve as a catalyst that accelerates an artist's progress to success. Visit our website to view the best current art competitions.

Are you looking for open calls for art competitions in a specific country or city? Check our carefully chosen selections:
FAQs: Art Competitions

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding art competitions here:

What is an art competition?

Art competitions are events where artists are invited to submit their work based on a particular theme or category. Organized by a variety of entities such as institutions, galleries, or other art organizations, these competitions aim to identify, acknowledge, and support talented artists. A panel of judges typically awards prizes, exhibitions, publications, or other forms of recognition to the best entries. Winning art competitions offers artists crucial exposure and recognition.

What are typical prizes of art competitions?

Art competitions offer artists a variety of prizes. These can range from cash awards, to opportunities in order to exhibit works and gain exposure. Some competitions also offer artist residencies, scholarships, as well as art supplies or equipment as prizes. Winners may have their work featured in a catalog, an art magazine, or on an online platform, increasing recognition and exposure. Ultimately, winning awards become a valuable addition to an artist's resume.

The list of art competitions on our website specifies in each case clearly what the “prize“ entails.

How does the judging process work?

The jury panel generally consists of a number of distinguished persons from the art world, who, over the course of several rounds, individually decide which applications to eliminate or pass on to the next rounds. Shortlisted works are then subjected to further scrutiny. The process concludes with the panel collectively deciding on the winners.

How do I apply for an art competition?

Most open calls for art competitions require artists to submit a comprehensive application, including a portfolio, an artist statement, and a resume. The number of applicants for art competitions is often high, especially for the more prestigious prizes. Therefore, your application needs be impactful, clear, straightforward, and inviting to review.

Do you need help in these matters? Check our online courses “How to make a portfolio” and “How to write an artists statement” which serve as step-by-step guides giving you all the tools you need to build a strong application for art competitions.